The poem “Upon the Burning of our House,” by Anne Bradstreet, was in many ways one of the most devout showings of Puritanism. Bradstreet makes many allusions to the bible, as well as to God himself. The poem proves that all in the world is temporary in the eyes of God, but only as a test for our faith in him. Bradstreet uses both allusion, and inverted syntax to show just how temporary mundane items are. These two literary devices are also used to create the dramatic setting of the poem and form the ideas of Puritan values.
The message provided by “The War Prayer” is more-so focused on the religious hypocrisy and one-sided view of Christianity in the vast topic of war. The piece, written by Mark Twain, also attempts to point out the flaws in the population’s thought processes. He illustrates this by explaining how we don’t ever truly consider the innocents of an opposing nation prior to entering a large conflict. The story, “Editha”, however, focuses on how ignorance and patriotism blind a nation to the true meaning of war. Howells attempts, in his respective piece, to show how the love for one’s nation can make the unwilling die for the ones they love.
The killing of the Albatross and the mariner bearing it as a burden is similar to Jesus’s resurrection and the cross. The Mariner’s quest for redemption also relates to his religious views in many aspects. Similarly, the inability to pray while the mariner is stranded on the liner is a distinct connection to the morals of religion. Allusions to Christianity play an essential role in the symbolism of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The presence of the Albatross in the Mariner’s rime contributes many ideas as well as aspects of Christianity.
Christianity: The One True Religion Christianity is the one true religion. You’re probably thinking, “Well, how do you know that?” I know this because the bible says so, in many places. One example of that is in Romans, chapter six. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is saying that if we sin, and don’t ask God for forgiveness, the penalty is, and always will be, death. Also John chapter ten says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” This is saying that if you believe in God, put all your faith in Him, you will be saved.
In the poem " The Bishop Orders His Tomb At St Praxted Church" Robert Browning gives the readers an impression of the main character; the Bishop, as being materialistic, hypocritical obsessed with belittling a character named Gandalf and sinful. Due to this negative opinion the readers form about the character it is debatable about whether or not he deserves to have the readers pity and sympathy due to the circumstance that he is dying or whether he deserves not to be due to his malicious nature. Robert Browning, in the beginning of the poems brings it to the readers attention that the Bishop is hypocritical due to the love and sexual feeling towards a woman and it suggested that he bares children which her which contradicts the status of Bishops and makes the readers question the reason he became a Bishop. A circular structure is created in this poem, the Bishop starts the monologue by talking about a woman; “She men would have to be your mother once” and consequently ends by talking about a woman;“ As still he envied me, so fair she was!”. It is debateable whether at the end of the poem the Bishop survives or dies, perhaps in the case the circular structure implies that the bishop dies ( due to circular structures representing life ) it could be suggested that the Bishop is infatuated with this woman because he is always thinking about her.
This theme is continued in Romeo and Juliet with love between the two characters but hatred between the Capulet and Montague families. This essay will explore how strong feelings are presented in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’ and ‘The Laboratory’. Varied examples of strong feelings are present in both of Browning’s poems by the effective use of a persona which allows us to hear the perspective of the character. In “My Last Duchess”, by speaking in the first person narrative as the Duke of Ferrara, a dramatic monologue more expected of a play, also seen in Romeo and Juliet, is delivered. Along with the frequent use of rhyming couplets and enjambment, this makes it clear that the Duke was a suspicious and dominant man to his dead wife and also shows his control.
Therefore, this suggests society has lost confidence and belief in religion. When analysing the poem, it can be understood that Yeats infers that history will repeat itself through the image of a “widening gyre”. The Second Coming was written in 1919 in the aftermath of the First Word War. This war was also known as ‘The War to End all Wars’ because it was so terrible that it was hoped that it would be the last. However, the use of “widening gyre” and “tide” highlights a sense of foreboding, suggesting that history will make a reoccurrence and peace will never be restored because society will not learn from its mistakes.
Cordelia takes on this role by unconditionally loving her father and furthermore forgiving Lear for banishing her, which is seen when she says “No cause, no cause.” (4.7). Edgar takes on a similar role by forgiving his father for going against him when he was tricked by Edmund and taking care of Gloucester in his blindness at the end of the play. The other characters, however, give into temptation and sin more frequently. Pride, for example, is a prominent sin that affects many characters, Lear being a prime example. Lear's pride keeps him from listening to the advice of Kent, the king's most loyal follower, after he banishes Cordelia and admitting he may have been wrong.
Blow!’ Although the play is set in a pagan setting, Lear prays to the gods to expose criminals and later throughout the play, for the wellbeing of Cordelia and it is through these cries of help that we can notice that no matter how much the king prayed for righteous justice to be served that his prayers remained unanswered. Proof of this is how he calls his daughters ‘pernicious’ in Act III Scene i and in Act III scene iii; also called ‘The Mock Trial Scene’, where Lear states: ‘I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she [meaning Goneril] kicked the poor King her father.’ It is ironic how Lear thought that he was all-powerful in the first Act whereas now he is making an oath in the name of the gods that what he is stating is true and this shows the resignation he has towards the previous life he led. Meanwhile the gods’ injustice is also present in Gloucester’s subplot. Gloucester has always been a great believer of the gods and in the first act, when he reads Edmund’s forged letter he demonstrates this ‘these late eclipses in the sun
This quotation shows how blinded by hate Tybalt is, and yet at the same time it is love which blinds him and causes him to do impulsive acts, such as killing Mercutio. It is both families’ love of honour which perpetuates the violence between the two households. Shakespeare teaches society through the key theme of family love, to not let your love for your family consume you so much that is causes deep hatred and in this case, death. Tybalt could be considered obsessed with his hatred towards the Montagues and obsession is another key theme which Shakespeare explores to teach readers about love. In Romeo and Juliet, an excess of passion is frowned upon.